[Update at 11:33 a.m.]: Sheriff's homicide Lt. Eddie Hernandez tells us that it does not appear the victim was shot. But earlier indications that he was fatally beaten might be premature as well. He said coroner's investigators on the scene this morning could find no "injuries," even though the victim was bloodied.

No one heard shots fired, however.

The victim was described as 32-years-old and well liked by his co-workers.

Hernandez surmised that he might have been attacked by someone near a group of trash bins after taking out the trash. The victim then possibly stumbled back to the front entrance of the restaurant and collapsed. Onlookers called 911.

Hernandez told the Weekly:

He might have been taking the trash out. We saw evidence that he may have stumbled back to the restaurant and collapsed. At this point we beleive it was an assault.

Authorities know the man's name but couldn't release it until his family was notified.

[Update at 1:20 p.m. Tuesday]: While the Malibu Times is reporting that the worker might have died of "natural causes," it's still not clear what felled this man. Note that sheriff's officials told us there was a trail of blood leading from a trash area to the front of the restaurant.

L.A. County coroner's Capt. John Kades told the Weekly that an autopsy has yet to be performed and will likely be done tomorrow. He also said the man's next of kin had yet to be notified, so they can't release his name yet.

Here's what he said:

The cause is not definite until we're done with the autopsy. I don't think we've ruled anyting out yet.

Another coroner's official told us earlier in the day that, "It's not a homicide."

We'll keep you posted.

[Update at 11:26 a.m. Wednesday]: He was identified by the coroner's office today as Carlos Ivan Rodas, 32. An autopsy wasn't expected to be completed until tomorrow.

Dennis Romero has worked on staff at several magazines and newspapers, including the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Los Angeles Times, where he participated in Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the L.A. riots. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone online, the Guardian, and, as a
young stringer, the New York Times.